Life-saving apparatus.



J. LE .BLANG.

LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILFD MAY26, 1906.

PATENTED 001?. 16, 1906.

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LIFE-SAVING. APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed May 26,1906. Serial No. 318,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LE BLANO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wells, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-saving apparatus, the object of the invention being to provide a simple, reliable, and practically noncapsizable float resembling a shallow boat or fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a life-saving apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the apparatus, showing extension-floats thereon.

The main bond of the apparatus comprises a main forward section 1 and an after section 2, which is hinged at its front end-to the rear edge of the forward section, as shown at 3, whereby the after section may be folded over upon the forward section to render the device compact when not in use.

The forward section comprises the top 4, bottom 5, and sides 6, which are secured together in such manner as to provide water- I tight air-compartments 7 and 8, located, re-

spectively, in front and in rear of a well 9, in which a portion of the propelling mechanism is housed, as shown in Fig. 2. The main for ward section 1 is provided at the rear with a shallow portion or counter 10, leaving room beneath the same for the propeller-wheel 11, which is mounted on a shaft 12, extending forward to the well 9 and mounted in suitable bearings 13 on the section 1, as shown in Fig. 2. At its forward end the shaft 12 is provided with a bevel-pinion 14, which meshes with and is driven by a bevel gear wheel 15, mounted on a shaft 16, extending transversely of the section 1 and mounted in suitable bearings 17 thereon. The shaft 16 is provided with a crank 18, to which is connected a pitman 19, pivotally connected at one end to the short arm 20of anelbow-lever 21, fulcrumed at 22 on a bracket extending into the well 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the handle portion of the lever 21 extending upward through a slot 23 in the deck of the forward section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and setting at an oblique inclination, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so as to allow ample space for the occupant to lie out flat on the top of the sections 1 and 2 and manipulate the operating-1ever 21 for propelling the wheel 11 and moving the boat forward or backward, as desired.

Secured to the counter 10 and extending downward therefrom is a hanger 24, provided with bearings for the rudder-post of a rudder 25, from which flexible connections 26 extend around suitable guides and forward to a steering-lever 27, which is mounted within the well 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and which works in a slot 28, extending transversely through the deck of the forward section 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The operator may propel the boat with one hand on the lever 21 and steer the boat by using the other hand upon the lever 27.

The after section 2 is made quite shallow, as shown in Fig. 2, the main draft bein borne by the forward section, while the after section rests upon the surfaceof the water, being intended to support the limbs of the occupant, whose body rests on the forward section 1.

If desired and in order to add to the noncapsizability of the apparatus, arms 29 may be secured to opposite sides of the forward section 1 to extend laterally outward therefrom in opposite directions, said arms carrying additional or supplemental floats 30 of the catamaran type, which rest lightly on the surface of the water and prevent the listing of the float without offering any appreciable increase in the resistance to the movement of the boat forward or backward.

In the use of the apparatus the occupant ordinarily lies flat upon the raft-like float, with one hand on the driving-lever 21 and the other hand on the steering-lever 27 and by the proper manipulation of said levers he is enabled to propel the boat either forward or backward and steer the same in any direction.

I claim 1. In life-saving apparatus, a float embodying fore and aft sections having a hinged connection with each other, the forward section comprising a water-tight compartment and having a well extending downward from top to bottom thereof, a propeller-wheel, and driving mechanism for said propeller-wheel located and housed within said Well.

2. In life-saving apparatus, a float embodying fore and aft sections having a j ointed and folding connection with each other, the after section being of relatively less depth or draft than the forward section, and pro- 

